The Ratking
by Be Rose
Summary: When the Falcon takes Princess Clarissa home, the ship is shipwrecked on an island. The islanders are very friendly but they are rats. The ratking wants to marry the princess and unless she does none of the humans are allowed to leave. Will the princess marry the ratking to save her people? What will happen if she doesn't? To find out read the story of the Ratking.
1. At the Eskmouth Academy for Young Ladies

**Author's note: This is the next story from my collection ONCE UPON A TIME ANOTHER STORY. It's a shorter story with shorter chapters. I wrote it when i was in my teens but it has been updated since. I hope you enjoy it.  
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**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 1 – At the Eskmouth Academy for Young Ladies**

ONCE UPON A TIME a princess came to the Eskmouth Academy for Young Ladies. This in itself was not unusual. The school of Miss Swann was the most exclusive and expensive anywhere. It was Also the largest. Not because of the amount of pupils but because of the size of the girl's rooms, apartments really. Let's face it; you can't put young noblewomen from the wealthiest aristocratic families in the known world in poky little rooms. The apartments ranged from the simple – parlour, bedroom with en-suite bathroom, living quarters for one maid – to the extravagant – entrance hall with separate door to living quarters for 10 servants, private kitchen, breakfast room, morning room, dining-room, lounge, night hall with access to master-bedroom with en-suite bathroom and 2 guest bedrooms with shared bathroom. The girls brought their own staff – depending on the size of the apartment they occupied.

Princess Clarissa was the only child of King Derek of Danali, rumoured to be richer even than the emperor of the Eastlands. To Miss Swann this was her crowning glory. Finally a princess of Danali came to her school. It was now official. Her school was the best in the world.

Of course Princess Clarissa had the largest apartment and the largest retinue. She had three ladies-in-waiting (to run errands for her), a maid to dress her, a maid to do her hair and a maid to do her make-up (or as they preferred to be called: personal fashion-stylist, personal hair-stylist and personal make-up artist). Further there was a house-maid, a cook, a cook's assistant, a kitchen-maid and a scullery maid.

"Your Highness, I think there's been a mistake," said Miss Swann when she saw there were eleven servants. "There are only sleeping places for ten in the apartment. It is our biggest apartment so I can't give you one with enough beds for all your servants."

"I won't send one of my servants away," snapped the princess. "Madeline, check out that hole I'm supposed to live in for three years."

Madeline, first lady-in-waiting to the princess, looked at the available rooms and came back satisfied.

"It won't be a problem, Your Highness. The apartment itself is adequate for your needs and the servants quarters will do nicely. There are two suites with three rooms and two rooms with two beds. Obviously we, ladies-in-waiting, will have the first suite and …"

"Don't bore me with trivial details, Madeline. If there is room for everyone then let's go in and start unpacking. I want to have a bath and get changed out of these impossibly dirty clothes. Come on, why isn't the bathwater running yet?"

While the princess had her bath and afterwards was dressed and coifed and generally pampered, Madeline divided the remaining rooms.

"Right, as I said we'll have the first suite. The princesses' personal maids (don't tell them I said that) can have the second suite. Cook, you and your assistant take the bigger one of the two rooms. The smaller one is for the house-maid and the kitchen-maid."

Nobody even thought about the scullery maid. She was too busy dragging trunks and carrying cases into the apartment and storing them in the storage room when they were empty to even have time to think about bedtime. By the time the last case was stored everyone had gone to bed and the poor scullery maid had the choice between sleeping on top of a trunk or on the floor of the storage room.

Early the following morning the scullery maid lit the fires in the different rooms of the apartment, starting with the bedrooms and the kitchen. Then she had to scour every pot and pan in the kitchen because they had been sitting in straw during the journey. After that the rest of the kitchen utensils had to be washed as well as all the china and cutlery. Soon the kitchen staff arrived to make the breakfast and the house-maid went to set the table in the breakfast room for the princess and her ladies-in-waiting. The fashion-stylist, hair-stylist and make-up artists (in other words the ladies-maids-but-don't-tell-them) had breakfast together in their suite before they went to assist the princess when she was ready to get up. Before she went out to do some shopping, the princess insisted the whole apartment be cleaned.

"I can smell the previous occupier," she said. "I'm sure it was never properly cleaned before I arrived. I expect it to be done this evening."

During breakfast Selina remarked, "At least Tilly has lit the fire in time. It's nice and warm here." This reminded Madeline that she hadn't told the scullery maid where to sleep. Having the extra servant really was an inconvenience but the princess had insisted that one person should do all the filthy jobs. Nobody else was allowed to touch anything vaguely dirty so an extra maid had been hired to become part of the princess' retinue.

If she hadn't accidently seen her later, Madeline would have forgotten again to inform Tilly of her sleeping arrangements.

"Ah, Tilly, finally I've found you," Madeline said as if she'd actually been looking for the girl. "I don't know where you slept last night but from now on you'll sleep in the storage room. I'm sure there is some space left for a mattress. Glad that's been cleared up." And Madeline left Tilly standing, never telling her how and where to get a mattress.

To make Tilly's life even more miserable an extra job was found for her quite by accident. At four o'clock every day the princess wanted cucumbers. Not for cucumber sandwiches but for a face mask. Madeline had sent Selina, the youngest lady-in-waiting, out to get some at the market but she came back empty-handed.

"Madeline, it's dreadful. There are no cucumbers to be had. They haven't got the warm Danali climate here. The grocer told me this time of year is too cool for cucumbers. He might have some hothouse cucumbers in three days' time but nothing till then. Somebody will have to tell the princess."

Neither the first lady-in-waiting, nor the second lady-in-waiting fancied the job. Selina, the third lady-in-waiting wasn't keen either and decided to tell someone else to take the message. She skipped the personal fashion-stylist, the personal hairstylist and the personal make-up artist – the personal trio had unanimously declared that they were not messengers – and told the house-maid to pass on the bad news. The house-maid told the cook, who ordered her assistant – or sous-chef as the assistant called herself. She passed it on to the kitchen maid, who ordered the scullery maid, Tilly, "Go and tell her Highness that there are no cucumbers today." And Tilly went and gave the princess the bad news and got a thrashing for her trouble. From that day onward Tilly became the messenger if there was bad news of any variety and Princess Clarissa showed her displeasure at the news by slapping and beating her.

For three years Princess Clarissa's stayed at the Eskmouth Academy for Young Ladies. For three years Tilly slept in the windowless storage room on a straw filled sack with a torn blanket for cover. For three years Princess Clarissa terrorised her schoolmates, her teachers and even Miss Swann herself until even for that lady having a Danali princess among her pupils had lost its lustre. Every tradesman in Eskmouth feared her temper. They'd rather lose the money than have to deal with her. Three years long she plagued the townspeople with her rudeness, her demands, her impatience, her sulking, her tempers, her anger… in short, the town had never seen a more unpleasant person.

But even the longest years have only twelve months. The people of Eskmouth, including Miss Swann at her Academy, were ticking off the last days of Princess Clarissa's stay on their calendars. The Princess had completed her education and would soon be gone. The Falcon, the proudest ship ever seen in Eskmouth, was waiting in the harbour. As soon as Princess Clarissa was on board it would leave, to take her back home.

When the Falcon had arrived two weeks earlier it needed some urgent repairs after the long journey from Princess Clarissa's home. It had taken seven days to finish them but convincing the princess that these repairs were essential for her safety had been nigh on impossible.

This was the conversation on the first day and typical for what happened every day from the moment the princess knew her ship had arrived: Madeline, the first lady-in-waiting asked the captain, "Will we be sailing today? Her Majesty, Princess Clarissa, would like to know."

"I'm sorry, madam, but that will not be possible. The ship is in dry-dock and not ready to sail." the captain answered.

The first lady-in-waiting said to Paula, the second lady-in-waiting, "Tell her Highness that we cannot sail today. The ship is being repaired."

The second lady-in-waiting said to Selina, the third lady-in-waiting, "You have to tell her Highness that the ship is not repaired yet and the captain won't sail."

From the third lady-in-waiting it passed through the servants' hierarchy until the kitchen maid ordered Tilly, "Go and tell her Highness that we cannot sail today. The ship is being mended."

Tilly had no option but to go and give the princess the bad news. And the princess would vent her anger on Tilly, because she was conveniently present.

When the repairs were done the departure was delayed because of the weather. Even Princess Clarissa could see from her apartment window how the trees bent nearly double in the wind and waves lashed the shore of Eskmouth. But she still beat up Tilly for daring to bring the message from the captain that leaving was impossible due to the weather.

The fortnight following the ship's arrival had been sheer hell, with the princess constantly demanding they start on the journey. Finally on the fourteenth day the captain said, "Tell her Highness we can sail in half an hour." This message was taken straight to the princess by the first lady-in-waiting herself and Princess Clarissa was happy and said, "Thank you, Madeline. That is great news."

The people on the quayside were waving as the magnificent vessel went on its way. They kept waving until it disappeared behind the horizon. Then there was a deep sigh of relief from the assembled crowd. Suddenly fireworks went off from the tower of the school. A band had appeared and started playing. From every house people brought out chairs and tables and dishes with all sorts of party food. It was the beginning of a street party that lasted three days ("one for every year the princess was here," somebody said later) and people remembered it for the rest of their lives.


	2. Shipwrecked

**Author's Note: Thanks to SilverStarlightXD for following this story.  
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**I plan to finish it before Christmas which means updates may come quicker, especially for really short chapters.  
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**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 2 - Shipwrecked**

On board the ship there was no reason for partying. Everyone knew Princess Clarissa's reputation and nobody was looking forward to a journey that was expected to last six months. Surprisingly for three months things weren't too bad. The ship made good time. The weather was fine, there was a nice wind and the sea was as smooth as a millpond. Even the princess' temper only rarely flared up. The ladies-in-waiting were only too pleased they finally had a scapegoat to take unpleasant news to Princess Clarissa. Whether it was to tell her that the last cucumber had been used for her facemask or that the ship was really, truly going at top speed, they sent poor Tilly and every time the princess showed her displeasure in the usual violent way.

About the middle of the third month of the voyage the weather changed. The day had started beautifully with a clear blue sky. Not a cloud could be seen. That is why nobody noticed the first flash of lightning, but everybody heard the clap of thunder that followed it. Suddenly, from bright blue, the sky turned pitch-black. Rain came down in sheets. Before they could be lowered, a sudden wind ripped the sails to shreds. The mighty ship was tossed about by the waves as if it was a nutshell. The princess and her retinue, except June, the kitchen maid and Tilly, the scullery maid, took to their bunks with seasickness. The captain and his crew tried to keep on course, but eventually had to give up and hope for the best. The only thing they managed to do was to keep the ship from capsizing. Nobody knew where they were going. The needle of the compass jumped from left to right and back like a thing possessed. It was impossible to see where the water ended and the sky began. June did her best to get some warm food and drink to the crew and Tilly looked after the seasick passengers.

How long did the storm last? Nobody could say. Day and night were merged into unrelenting blackness. Whether the ship was high on the crest of a wave or deep in a trough moments away from destruction was impossible to tell. Then all of a sudden the ship ploughed into a sandy beach … and the storm ended as abruptly as it had begun. The rain stopped, the sun started to shine and there wasn't a breath of wind. One by one the passengers came on deck, last of all Princess Clarissa. No sooner had she seen that the ship was not in the harbour of a great city, but stuck on a deserted beach with a big cliff at the end of it or she ordered the crew to pull the ship back in the water and set sail for home. The captain tried to tell her this was impossible; the princess shouted louder and louder; the three ladies-in-waiting tried to calm her down and nobody saw that some people had come onto the beach.

They kept shouting, "Hello, can we help you?" "Do you need any help?" "Hello, up there!"

Nobody heard them until finally the cook happened to look down and screamed, "Rats! They are rats! Monsters! Help! Help!"

Everybody looked down and saw that from the beach seven very ratty faces were looking up at them.

"Hello, we are here to help you," they shouted again.

The captain, who had seen plenty of strange things on his many voyages around the world, answered them.

"We seem to be stuck on the beach and we have a lot of damage, so your help will be more than welcome. We also have an important passenger on board. It would be great if you could help us there as well."

The rat-people said, "That won't be a problem. You've been very lucky that your ship didn't crash into the cliffs that surround our land."

Everyone on deck looked in the direction of the sea and saw a row of sharp rocks that surrounded the bay they had stranded in. Some disappeared occasionally in the swell of the waves and others were never visible but could just be seen shimmering through the water. The captain didn't understand how they had entered the bay. The Falcon should by rights be a pile of debris instead of a salvageable ship.

"Could you tell us where we are? What is this place called?" he asked the rat-people.

"This is the island-kingdom Ilara. The capital and the villages are all on the other side of the island. We have excellent shipwrights to help with your ship and our king will welcome your passengers."

"If this is Ilara we're badly of course," said the captain and to Princess Clarissa, "Your Highness, I think we should accept the help of these people. In fact we have no choice."

Princess Clarissa wanted to shout at the captain but he'd left to talk to their helpers. So she slapped the person nearest to her who, for once, wasn't Tilly but the Falcon's cabin boy.

The captain talked a long time with the rat-people and soon everything was arranged. Little boats arrived with people and equipment for a quick patch-up job. Afterwards they would tow the ship into the harbour of the capital where sleeping quarters had been arranged for the crew. The royal pleasure yacht arrived to convey the princess and her retinue. Three royal coaches would take them from the marina to the guests' palace just opposite the royal palace. What the princess called, 'the minimum necessities' were transported from the beach to the capital by oxcart. Tilly was to go with the cart to keep an eye on the luggage. She sat next to the driver and had a good view of everything they passed. The slow pace of the cart allowed her to see quite a few of the rat-people once they reached the inhabited part of the island. The fact that they walked upright, had clothes on and talked, didn't make them less like rats. The eyes though were different. When the driver stopped to have a chat with some people, Tilly could see they were not like ordinary rat's eyes at all. At first they just looked like black beady eyes but when they looked at Tilly she could see there was something very human in these rats' eyes. She could even see they had different colours. By the time she arrived at the palace with the cases, Tilly was convinced there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of in this strange land.

When Princess Clarissa arrived at the guest's palace she saw a rat in splendid gala uniform waiting for her. He helped the princess out of the coach, bowed to her and introduced himself.

"Your Highness, I'm King Frederick of Ilara. Welcome to my country. I'm sorry we meet in circumstances that are so very distressing to you. May I invite you and your ladies to dine at my palace tonight?"

Princess Clarissa wanted to tell him to get lost, wanted to say she didn't dine with vermin but she was too afraid to say 'no', too afraid of what the rats might do if she upset their king. That's why she said in her sweetest voice, "My ladies and I will be delighted to accept your kind invitation."

The princess was shown to the room that had been prepared for her. A hot bath was waiting and new clothes had been laid out so that Princess Clarissa had to admit that the rats at least seemed to realise which was the superior species. The ladies-in-waiting for whom the same things had been arranged thought so too.

Tilly had arrived already. The servants at the guests' palace had helped her to take the luggage inside and Tilly had been busy putting everything away. She hadn't seen the arrival of the princess but after dinner she heard the other servants gossip about what had happened when the coaches had arrived at the guests' palace.

"Did you see her face when that rat-king asked her to dine with him? She looked as if she'd stepped in something nasty," the housemaid laughed.

"And when that thing kissed her hand, did you see that? She wiped it on her dress."

They all shrieked with laughter.

When everybody left for bed, Tilly remained in the servants' dining room. Nobody had told her where she was supposed to sleep. Then a big grey rat entered the room. He went up to Tilly and said, "You must be the girl who came with the oxcart. I have just been informed of your coming. Scullery maid, aren't you? Follow me, I'll show you your room."

Tilly followed the rat to a neat little room near the kitchen. It had windows looking out over a garden, and something even more important. For the first time in more than three years Tilly slept in a proper bed with a proper mattress.

In the middle of the night Tilly was woken up by a noise. She opened the door of her room just a crack to see who made the racket and saw the princess and her ladies-in-waiting.

"That was the most dreadful evening in my life," whimpered Paula.

"I couldn't eat a bite, looking at that thing," said Madeline.

"It was humiliating and that vermin will have to pay for it," added Princess Clarissa.

"Of course, Ma'am. They can't get away with it. A Danali princess should not be in the same room as such filthy rats," remarked Madeline.

"Actually they were all very clean, and the food was delicious," said Selina.

"Selina, how can you be so common and low?" cried Madeline

"This sort of behaviour can cost you your place as my lady-in-waiting. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mma'am, it is clear. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

Tilly carefully closed the door again and tried to go back to sleep. It didn't take very long; just like every day she was exhausted.


	3. The dinner invitations

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 3 – The dinner invitations**

After the official dinner the first day, the rat-king asked Princess Clarissa regularly to dine with him – an unofficial private dinner. She hated these dinners, hardly ate, didn't say a word and left the dining room and the king's palace as soon as he gave her leave. Of course her own kitchen staff were ordered to have a meal ready when she came back from these dinners, however long she'd been with the king. They grumbled but did as they were ordered. An extensive warm buffet was made ready for the princess. This had advantages. Everything could be made in advance and as soon as all the dishes where set out in the dining room they could go to bed. Clearing up and washing up was left to Tilly who hated those evenings as much as the princess because she would have only a couple of hours sleep before she had to be up again.

There had been plenty of servants present in the guests' palace but the princess did not want any of them in the apartment she occupied.

"That vermin is not coming anywhere near me," she had said. "Madeline, you arrange that."

Madeline had done just that by saying the princess was too used to her own team to want anybody else to work for her. Tilly could only be glad that, although the apartment was larger than the one at Miss Swann's school, at least the princess had not chosen to occupy the whole palace.

During these first few weeks the ship was patched up enough to drag it off the beach and tow it slowly halfway around the island to take it to the dry-dock. And then the waiting began. Waiting for the materials to arrive at the docks. Waiting for the work to start. Waiting for the repairs to be done. Waiting for the day they all could go home.

Strangely enough once the ship was in the dock nothing happened. There was always a good reason why no work was done on the ship. Something was not right but neither the captain nor the crew could find out what it was. They were well taken care of, the food was good, the lodgings were excellent, the rat-people were very friendly; but the ship was in dry-dock and was very likely to remain there for a long time to come. In the end the captain told his crew that they were all on leave until the ship was ready. If a watched pot really didn't boil then perhaps a watched ship didn't get repaired either.

The princess kept sending her lady-in-waiting, Madeline, to check the progress of the repairs and Madeline then sent in the scullery maid Tilly to take the bad news to the princess. Tilly told the princess that nothing had been done yet and nobody was working on the ship. The princess had a full-blown tantrum. She shouted and threw anything she could lay her hands on at Tilly who couldn't always avoid being hit. Princess Clarissa wanted to go home and not be forced to go to dinner with that odious rat-faced king.

Then one day Selina heard strange news. She immediately told it to the first lady-in-waiting.

"Madeline, I know why the rat-king always asks our princess to dine with him and why the repairs to our ship are still not done. The king wants to marry our princess."

"Don't be silly. That's impossible."

"It is the truth. Graham told me."

"Who's Graham?"

"One of the king's men. You know, the one with the great whiskers."

"Oh! Yuck! You sound as if you like that rat!"

"Well, he is a very nice person and I like his whiskers."

"Please … I don't feel well. The idea!"

And Madeline went to tell Princess Clarissa what she had just heard. She wasn't sure if she could ask Tilly to take the bad news. This was more momentous than the lack of cucumbers. In the end Madeline decided to do the job herself, and made sure that Tilly was close at hand to take the brunt of the princess' displeasure.

After she had vented her anger and calmed down, the princess decided that, if he wanted to marry her, the rat-king would not hurt her and she could refuse to dine with him.

That evening when Madeline brought the invitation from the king the princess said, "I'm not going. It spoils my appetite to have to look at that creature."

Madeline did not want to tell this to the king so of course she sent Tilly to take the message. On the way to the king's palace Tilly wondered how she could tell the king that he would have to dine alone that day without hurting his feelings. She decided to keep it simple and use the oldest excuse in the book.

"Your Majesty, her Royal Highness Princess Clarissa asks to be excused today. She is indisposed because of a severe headache," she said.

"Tell her Highness that I'm very sorry to hear this and hope she'll soon feel better," he answered.

She had to make an excuse the next time and the next and…

The fourth time Tilly came to excuse Princess Clarissa, the king had had enough and said to Tilly, "Your Princess Clarissa has absolutely no intention to ever dine with me anymore, does she?"

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty, but yes, you are right."

"What's your name? You have been here so often and I don' know your name."

"My name is Natalie, Sire. But I was told that Natalie is too fancy for a scullery maid. They all call me Tilly."

"The scullery maid, not a lady-in-waiting. I wondered why your dress was so simple. Is this meant as an insult? Because I look like a rat?"

"Oh, no, Sire. I'm sure they don't mean to insult Your Majesty. Lady Madeline always sends me to deliver bad news. I suppose she's gotten used to it."

"Why would they need someone to take bad news? I suppose that means they take the good news themselves?"

Tilly just nodded. She wasn't going to tell him about the beatings.

"Well, Miss Natalie, would YOU care to dine with me. I'd rather not have another lonely dinner."

Natalie saw that the king really meant what he said.

"Yes, Sire, if you want me to I'll dine with you. I don't know what they're all for, though," she said and pointed at all the cutlery and glasses.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you what you're supposed to use."

During the meal he talked about his country and his people to make Tilly feel at ease. He made her laugh and she felt comfortable with her dining partner even if he was a king and rat-faced. Occasionally she asked him something, showing she was interested in what he said. Then there was the food, so much of which she'd never seen, let alone tasted. A feast like she would never have in her life again. She was determined to enjoy it.

At the end of the evening on her way to bed Tilly could not understand why the princess refused to dine with the king. She thought Princess Clarissa could have made the effort. Dining with your host was just common courtesy after all. She didn't understand what all the fuss was about. The food was delicious, the company good, everything spotlessly clean. If she were the princess, she wouldn't mind dining with him at all.


	4. The truth is out

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you to Mimi and Jimli for their reviews.  
**

**The chapters in this story are rather short. That's the reason why I there is a new one every three days.  
**

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**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 4 – The truth is out **

After that the rat-king didn't ask the princess to dinner anymore. It didn't make her any happier as she still couldn't go home. The captain and his crew had enjoyed their leave but started to wonder whether the ship would ever be repaired. Most of the stranded sailors missed their families. Some of Princess Clarissa's retinue had been selected because they had little or no family; Selina, Sonja the housemaid, June the kitchen maid and of course Tilly. The others longed dreadfully to see their families again after three years absence, especially Lady Madeline who had started pining for her children and husband the day she left with the princess. Princess Clarissa missed her family as well, but she missed the parties that she would have been attending even more. She had been promised a large party for her homecoming, then one for her birthday followed soon after by her official introduction to eligible bachelors from just about everywhere. That was the one she'd been looking forward to the most and still was. She wanted so much to go to that party. She would be able to choose a future husband and there wouldn't be a rat among them. (Actually there might be several rats but Princess Clarissa, who was only interested in outward appearances, would never have noticed.)

Because of all these missed parties she felt locked up in the guests' palace and became more and more furious. Then one day she went to the king's palace, and without a by-your-leave or introduction she burst into his office.

"You there," she shouted, "King Rat, I demand that my ship be readied forthwith. I refuse to stay any longer than strictly necessary in this vermin-ridden place. Do you hear! I order you to repair my ship so I can go home. I refuse to stay among you filthy stinking rats any longer."

The king winced, something the princess of course didn't notice. She didn't see the anger in his eyes. All she saw were shiny, beady rat's eyes. When he was in control of his emotions again he said in a calm voice, "I'm sorry, I cannot let you go. I want you to become my wife. On the day of our engagement the work on the ship will start and your people can leave on our wedding day. That is all I can promise you."

"Are you mad? I won't marry a rat. What do I care about my people leaving? They are my retinue; they are here for me."

"If you don't marry me then nobody goes. That is my final word, Your Highness."

At that the king continued with his work and ignored the presence of the princes. She wanted to swipe his papers from the desk but she dared not. She was still afraid of the rat-king. He was an animal that might attack her. She never even realised that, if the king had really been that much of an animal, her words would have resulted in the assault she feared. In the end she felt snubbed and unwittingly tested his self-control again when she shouted, "You … you … ANIMAL!" and left.

The rat-king sighed. If it weren't for his people, innocent victims of his argument with Melina, he would not even think about marrying a woman like Princess Clarissa. He thought he and Melina had dealt with their differences but obviously she was still sore if she had decided that the princess was a fit wife for him. He had no choice though; he had to see it through. How long, he wondered, before Princess Clarissa was ready to do her duty towards her people.

ooOOoo

So far only Princess Clarissa and her ladies-in-waiting knew about the rat-king's wishes, and of course Tilly who had been present when Madeline told the princess. Of course the princess wanted to keep it a secret that everybody could go home if she became queen to the rat-king. She told nobody about her talk to the king of Ilara. But of course there was Selina. Selina heard from her friend Graham what had happened between Princess Clarissa and the king. She told Lady Madeline and Lady Paula about the meeting.

"Thank you for telling us, Selina. At least we know where we stand," said Lady Madeline.

"We can't tell anyone else though," added Lady Paula. "We can't have people demand the sacrifice from our princess. It's not right."

"Absolutely, Paula, nobody can know. We must keep this a secret."

Selina didn't understand. Why weren't people allowed to know what the princess had unilaterally decided about their future?

"Why can't they know? Haven't they got the right to know this?"

"You are stupid sometimes, Selina. We don't want them to force our princess into marrying a rat. Do we now?"

As if anybody could force her, thought Selina. Even the captain and his crew feared the princess. She didn't say this to her colleagues though and decided she had no choice but to follow their example and keep quiet.

Unfortunately for their plans the cook's assistant had heard the whole conversation. Before the day was over every human on the island knew that they could go home if the princess married the rat-king. And everybody realised they had less than a snowball's chance in hell that this would happen.

The princess, never a sweet girl, became impossible to live with. Even the personal trio didn't escape her anger. Madeline decided that Tilly had to remain in the princess' room to act as scapegoat whenever the princess lost her temper. The poor girl was slapped and kicked and shouted at all day long. She was also still expected to do her normal work, early in the morning and late at night. Tilly fervently wished that Princess Clarissa would marry the rat-king and she, Tilly, could leave. Not that she had problems with the rat-people. She'd long discovered they were just different looking but still people.

Tilly was not the only one who got along with their hosts. The housemaid and the kitchen maid often met and talked to the staff that looked after the part of the palace that Princess Clarissa didn't use. June, the kitchen maid who felt sorry for Tilly, did as much of the girl's work as possible with their assistance. And of course Lady Selina had become close friends with Sir Graham, personal friend and counsellor of the rat-king. The rest of the princess' retinue felt as she did, that the rat-people were vermin and horrible and must surely be filthy.

ooOOoo

The captain of the Falcon and his crew were not worried about having to live among rats they just wanted to get home. Every day more and more of them started to criticise the princess.

"Why doesn't she just marry the chap, then we can go home."

"Somebody should make her marry him. She's the one who keeps us here and I was looking for a short absence."

"Yes, exactly. All it was supposed to be was a quick journey to Eskmouth and back. I expected to be home for my son's birthday and now I may never see the little lad again."

"It's her duty to make sure that we, her people, can go home. A future queen has to give up her life for the greater good of her subjects, doesn't she?"

"Well, why don't she do it then?"

But Selina had been right. They didn't dare, not even collectively, say to the princess this was her duty, let alone try to force her.


	5. The Idea

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 5 - The idea**

Tilly too thought that Princess Clarissa should help her people to get off the island but knew too well it would not happen. She'd been too often on the receiving end of the princess' displeasure not to know that all her actions were driven by self-interest. They were stuck on Ilara and that was that … until one day a solution unexpectedly revealed itself to Tilly.

Tilly had spent all day in the princess' room. When she was finally allowed to go it was already getting dark. In the corridor the torches had not been lit yet. Suddenly Sonja, the house-maid, came round the corner, stopped, curtsied and said, "Your Highness."

"I'm not the princess. It's only me," Tilly said.

"Oh, yes, of course. It is so dark already. For a moment I thought you were the princess. Probably because you're both short and thin … and you've both got dark hair. It would confuse anybody."

"No problem. As long as you don't say Tilly to the princess."

"Saints preserve us! She is likely to have me beheaded as a traitor if I did that. I'll just say 'Your Highness' if I'm not sure; then I can't go wrong. I must go now. See you later, Tilly."

"Yes … see you later, Miss Sonja."

Tilly was deep in thought. What if … what if that was the answer? What if the rat-king THOUGHT he was marrying the princess? What if the rat-king was cheated into marrying HER? What would he do? Would he be angry? Yes, no doubt about that. Who wouldn't? Would he imprison her? Perhaps, it was certainly a possibility. Would he kill her? Unlikely, he had seemed too kind for that. Princess Clarissa was another problem. It would be impossible to tell her that she looked like her scullery maid. She'd have a fit.

It could be so simple though. Princess Clarissa, her entourage and the sailors could go home; they could all return to their families, the princess could go to her parties and she wouldn't have to work for the princess anymore. No more beatings for a start. She was willing to take her chance with the rat-king. He couldn't be worse than the princess.

Tilly thought about different ways to go about the deceit; about the problems that might arise before the Falcon sailed away; about her own ability to let everyone think she was the princess and not be found out too soon. There was a solution for every problem except for the first one; that always remained and it was huge. The biggest obstacle was the princess who had to accept that her scullery maid was her double. How could it be done? If the princess had had the idea there would have been no problem. Hold on … that was the answer. The princess was to believe it was her idea. Tilly didn't know how to achieve this or even if it could be done but she decided to start with some offhand remarks.

ooOOoo

The next morning Tilly was in the room while the personal make-up artist was getting the princess ready. The personal fashion-stylist and the personal hairstylist were present as well to weave their own magic in time. Tilly started the attack.

"Don't you think it is dreadful that the rat-king wants to marry our princess? It's a pity that she hasn't got a double, then the double could marry the rat and the princess could go home."

"True enough; that would be ideal. But there is nobody like our princess. We could never find a perfect double."

The hairstylist has scored a bonus, thought Tilly. Now for the second round.

"I suppose it wouldn't have to be a perfect match. With the wedding dress and a veil nobody would see the double too clearly."

"It would still have to be somebody with the same posture as our princess. As soon as the bride started walking it would be obvious it wasn't our elegant princess."

Of course, thought Tilly, the fashion-stylist wants a bonus as well.

"I totally agree. No veil or dress could hide the fact that it was a double and not our princess. The lack of elegance would be all too plain to see. It's the most stupid idea I've ever heard."

And the make-up artist doesn't want to be left behind in the bonus race, was Tilly's thought to that remark before she answered, "Yes, you are right. It was a stupid idea."

Tilly left it at that.

Princess Clarissa was not stupid. Actually she was quite clever in finding ways to shirk her duties. She hadn't said anything but at the word double she had started to listen carefully and Tilly's idea fell on fertile ground. For days afterwards the princess observed the people in her retinue very closely. One by one they dropped off as possibilities. First there were the three ladies-in-waiting: the two duchesses, Madeline and Paula, were too big in all directions and the countess Selina, although not too tall, was too plump. The personal trio were all too tall and too thin and the house-maid too ginger – no amount of veils could cover that carrot-top – besides she was too well endowed. The cook and her assistant waddled and looked as if they enjoyed their own cooking a bit too much; the kitchen maid was the tallest of the lot. And then there was the scullery maid. To her dismay the princes had to acknowledge that the scullery maid was the best match. She was the right height and the right size. She didn't limp or lurch or waddle. She even had the right colour hair. This could not be; the princess could not admit that a simple scullery maid looked even remotely like her. She struggled with the idea for days. She came up with all sorts of reasons why it could not work. She even nearly thought it preferable to marry the rat-king than to concede that a scullery maid could be her double.

Eventually, as was predictable to anyone who knew her, the lure of the parties convinced Princess Clarissa that it didn't matter one jot who the double was. The idea that she would be tricking the rat-king was an added bonus, payback for what she called 'her ordeal'.


	6. Plotting

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 6 – Plotting **

Tilly had just started to wonder when it would be appropriate to launch another attack on Princess Clarissa's sense of self-preservation when one afternoon the princess called her to her room. Neither the ladies-in-waiting, nor the personal trio were present. Princess Clarissa came right to the point.

"You are going to marry the rat-king in my place. Don't think that this is because you resemble me. It is just that you are the most expendable person of my staff; the roads are littered with scullery maids. And anyway, rats and sculleries go together. You'll get on fine with the vermin."

The princess had to believe this was all her idea and that it had never entered Tilly's head that she resembled the princess. That is why Tilly said, "Oh, Your Highness, I could never convince anyone that I'm you."

"Hold your tongue! You'll do as I tell you. Those rats are too stupid to notice the difference, especially if you wear a veil and a big wedding dress. I will teach you how to walk like me although I don't think you can do it. But as long as you don't charge down the aisle it will be alright."

Tilly said that she would do as she was told.

"Of course you will," said Princess Clarissa. She decided to start the training immediately.

"I don't know if you'll be even vaguely able to walk like a princess," she said. "Walking in dresses with long trains and shoes with high heels is not that simple. You'll soon find out."

Tilly, who'd never worn high heels before, did find out. A whole week she was locked up with Princess Clarissa, first learning to walk in heels, then with the heaviest dress with the longest train in the princess' wardrobe. Tilly stumbled, occasionally fell but the princess was not inclined to help her. To the contrary. Never had Tilly been shouted at so much, never been kicked and slapped so much, and all for the slightest reasons. Eventually Tilly managed to walk in heels as if she'd always worn them and the long train on the dress was no longer a problem. Finally Princess Clarissa was more or less satisfied.

"At least you won't fall over anymore while walking down the aisle. I'll make sure you'll have time to practice more before the wedding day. You'll need it," she sneered.

Then she went to the rat-king to tell him that she would be his wife.

"I have no choice," she said to him. "It is my duty towards my people. I'm their princess, I am … I was their future queen. My feelings don't count, theirs do. I do this for the greater good. Rat-king … I'll be your wife."

It was a performance that would have gained her great acclaim on the stage of the most renowned theatres.

If Princess Clarissa had been able to see it, she would have noticed relief and happiness in the rat-king's eyes. As always she could not see beyond the shiny black rat's eyes.

"Thank you," said the rat-king. "You won't regret this. You'll never regret this."

He kissed Princess Clarissa's hand. The touch of his snout on her hand made her shiver. She ran to her room in the guests' palace, rubbing the back of her hand. The whole day she kept washing it, over and over again.

.

To celebrate that Princess Clarissa had finally accepted him, the rat-king organised a magnificent engagement party. He had invited everyone on the island humans and rats. The princess stood next to him, receiving congratulations and handshakes from every guest, including Tilly, who saw the happiness in the rat-king's eyes and thought of the disappointment that awaited him.

"A pretty disgusting affair," the princess said to Madeline that evening. "I'm surprised that rat hadn't invited the livestock."

"Oh, Your Highness, you're so brave," sobbed the lady-in waiting.

She, like the rest of the staff, still didn't know the deception Princess Clarissa and Tilly had planned.

ooOOoo

The repairs on the Falcon had been started immediately after the engagement party and soon it was ready to sail.

As the day of the wedding was coming closer, Tilly was getting nervous. She was after all gambling on the character of the rat-king whom she had only seen a few times. He walked and talked like a man but how much of him was a rat? She wasn't so sure anymore that he wouldn't kill her. But there was no turning back; the princess would make her go through with it. Besides, everybody looked so happy at the thought of going home; she couldn't disappoint them.

To make sure that she didn't take the risk in vain, the ship had to be on its way before the fraud was discovered. Tilly mentioned this to the princess, again counting on her instinct for wriggling out of her responsibilities.

"Your Highness, forgive me for saying this but I fear you are still in danger. If the ship isn't gone before the rat-king finds out he's been cheated, it will be recaptured. Then he's sure to force you into marriage."

Princess Clarissa was ready to storm out and make some extra demands but Tilly stopped her by blocking the door of her room. She had to shout to get through to the princess.

"Your Highness! Please! You need to try a more gentle approach. He thinks you have succumbed to his demands. He sees you as his future wife now. If you ask him kindly he's more likely to agree to your requests."

"Are you suggesting I should go snivelling and begging to that thing? I'm a princess, you stupid girl, and I can demand anything. Get out of my way."

"Yes, Ma'am, you're a princess and he is a king and can ignore your demand. A gentle plea by the woman he wants to marry, on the other hand, will carry a lot more weight and may get you a positive answer a lot sooner."

This time the princess didn't try to remove Tilly by force. She started to think about what had just been said. After a lot of pacing up and down her room, with Tilly still standing firm against the door, the princess finally relinquished.

"You obviously have a better understanding of rats than I do. What do I say to that thing?"

Tilly told the Princess what to say and how to say it.

"Just remember, Ma'am, if being kind to him becomes too difficult for you, think of it as a practical joke you're playing on the rat-king. You're just pretending and you'll be laughing at his credulity when you sail away on the Falcon."

Tilly hated the things she had to say to convince Princess Clarissa. She hated it that she had to treat the rat-king as vermin and she hated the princess for making her do this. She even considered telling the king about the scam but she couldn't disappoint the people who were looking forward to seeing their families again.

.

Princess Clarissa, who wanted to make her escape a certainty, arranged another meeting with the king and said exactly what Tilly had suggested.

"Your Majesty, please don't take this the wrong way, but I have a request," said the princess in her sweetest voice, even though inside she was fuming. "I don't doubt your honesty. I don't doubt that you will let my people go." Here she hesitated a moment, as instructed. "I'll become your wife, as I promised, but before I commit myself, I'd like to be sure that my people will not be recaptured."

"I can understand you reluctance to believe the word of a rat," said the king with a slight bitterness to his voice.

"No, it's not that, Sire, but could you, please (she nearly choked on the word) wait with the ceremony until the ship with my people is out of sight? It is more for them than for myself that I ask this."

Her kindness and gentle voice gave the king hope for his marriage to Princess Clarissa. Perhaps Melina had seen something in her that he was still to discover. What could he do but grant her wish.

"I'll allow the ship to sail as soon as the wedding ceremony has started. Then we wait until it has passed the last row of cliffs that surround the island. When you know they are safely out of reach, you can pronounce your vows and we will be husband and wife. Can you agree to this?"

More like rat and scullery maid, thought the princess while she said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, you're too kind."

Everything was now planned as Tilly had imagined it.


	7. The Wedding

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 7 – The Wedding**

The princess continued to show Tilly how to walk and what would be expected of her during the service. The ladies-in-waiting and the personal trio had noticed that the princess spent a lot of time with the scullery maid but thought that this was just one of her whims or, more likely, she was venting her anger and frustration at the coming wedding. Either way they were happy enough to leave the princess to Tilly or Tilly to the princess. Often they could hear impatient shouting from the princess and the sound of slapping. Tilly never walked graceful enough according to the princess who had a somewhat inflated idea of her own perfection.

Since the day Tilly had been accepted as double she had not been allowed to work anymore. The princess didn't care how the other servants arranged to do the girl's work, Tilly was not allowed to lift a finger, except to cover it in hand cream. Her calloused hands had to become as soft as possible or the king would discover the subterfuge immediately. The princess used her strongest creams on the girl's hands until she deemed they were more or less acceptable. A pair of gloves would have to do the rest.

"We'll just have to hope that rat is too full of his success to see that you can't possibly be me," the princess said, still unable to admit Tilly did a great job.

ooOOoo

The big day finally arrived. Princess Clarissa was prepared for her wedding. The personal hairstylist did her hair; the personal make-up artist did her make-up and the personal fashion-stylist dressed her in the wedding dress. Then the trio went to the ship, crying all the way – who was going to pay their exorbitant fees in the future?

As soon as they had left the room, the princess removed the veil and she and Tilly changed clothes. Then the princess put on a big shawl that covered her head and hid her face. Without saying "Thank you" or "Good luck" she left the room and joined the ladies-in-waiting and the rest of the staff who were going to the ship. Nobody ever noticed the scullery maid which made it easy for Princess Clarissa to get on board the Falcon unobserved. She found it difficult though to keep quiet until she was safely away. She itched to come out of hiding, claim the royal cabin and order somebody to bring her a warm drink. As soon as possible she did all three which cheered up the personal trio and put a pall of gloom over the crew. They felt the journey home was interminable.

ooOOoo

Tilly heard the church bells ringing out. There was a joy in the sound that she didn't feel. Somebody knocked at the door. Tilly covered her face with the big veil and looked in the mirror. At least nobody would suspect that she was not the princess. She left the room. Graham, the rat-king's counsellor was there to accompany her to the church. On the way she saw the Falcon ready to sail. As she was about to enter the church, two crewmen of the ship came to her. They bowed and one of them said, "Your Highness, we have decided to stay in Ilara. We will keep an eye on the ship and come and tell you when it is gone out of range."

Tilly could not speak; she just nodded. As she walked down the aisle, she saw Selina, who waved at her friend Graham. A bit further she also saw Sonja, the housemaid and June, the kitchen maid - two more people who had stayed behind in the hope of getting a better life. She was led to the altar where the rat-king was waiting for her and the service began. The bells stopped ringing and the ship slowly left the harbour. It was carefully picking its way through the cliffs, trying to stay in the middle of the channel that zigzagged from the harbour to the open sea. In the church the rat-king vowed to love and honour the princess, for better or worse. Then the service was paused. It was quiet in the church except for an occasional cough, a chair that moved, a child that cried and was hushed. Half an hour had passed when finally the church doors opened and the two sailors cried out, "The ship is safely through the cliffs and out of range."

Tilly sighed and in her turn vowed to love and honour the rat-king. She meant it wholeheartedly; she wanted to be as good a wife as she could be. Shortly after the priest pronounced them husband and wife and said, "You may kiss the bride."

The rat-king slowly lifted the veil. Tilly saw his eyes change as he realised the truth; disbelieve, horror and finally rage.

"You are not the princess."

"No, I'm Ti … Natalie."

"What have you done? My God, you have doomed us. My marriage to the princess would have broken the curse that changed us into rats. Now I'm married to … the scullery maid, isn't it?"

A look of shock and regret had spread across her face.

"Yes … I'm sorry; I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Princess Clarissa would never have married you and the staff and the crew wanted to go home to their families."

Natalie realised the church behind her was full of families, men and women who'd hoped to see the face of their loved ones again; mothers who'd been looking forward to seeing their children's faces again or even for the first time. Now that could never happen.

"Did you have a good laugh at our expense? Did you find it hilarious that that stupid rat thought he'd be marrying a princess? And all those funny rats who acted as if they were people, did you think them amusing?"

"No, of course not. It wasn't like that. I …"

"And they?" he pointed at the people who'd belonged to the princess' staff. "Did they know what farce was going to be played here today?"

"Of … of course not. The princess and I were the only ones who knew."

"It cannot be helped anymore. The princess would have been married to a man, but you will be married to a rat forever. You'll never see a human again, not even those of your people who have stayed on our island. Come."

He took Natalie by the hand and walked with her down the aisle. She was glad they didn't go too slowly as she saw all the rat-people looking at her, not angry but sad. That upset her most of all. Their shouting and anger she could have accepted; the knowledge of having saved her colleagues and the Falcon's crew would have sustained her. The Ilarians' silent sadness overwhelmed her. When the rat-king and Natalie had gone all the rat-people went home quietly. There were no parties; there was no firework; there was no joy. What should have been the happiest day of their lives had become the bleakest. The curse would not be broken.

ooOOoo

The rat-king took his bride to his castle. He showed Natalie where her new rooms were and left her there. Later a young rat-girl came to help her get changed. The girl said, "Your Majesty, I'm to be your chambermaid."

"Don't say 'Your Majesty'. I'm just the princess' maid."

"Oh no, Ma'am, You are our queen now," the girl remarked.

Natalie suddenly realised what her good intentions had meant for the rat-people. They were all still cursed and to top it all their queen was a scullery maid.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed my story. I hope you are still enjoying it.  
**


	8. How to become a queen

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 8 – How to become a Queen**

A whole new life started for Natalie now. She didn't have to work anymore; she didn't have to obey orders but was expected to give them. The young rat-girl – her name was Rita – was always there to help Natalie to get dressed in the morning, to fetch and carry for her all day and to help her get ready for the night. Natalie hardly ever saw a living soul apart from Rita. Whether she went to breakfast, lunch or dinner, the table was always set for one. The people she did see, guards or servants, always bowed to her and greeted her with respect as if she was a born queen. Not once did she get the feeling that they resented what she had done. This made Natalie feel even worse. She would have understood if they had been rude to her or ignored her.

Four weeks had soon passed. With nothing to do but sit at the window and look out at the garden, thinking about the misery she had caused, Natalie had lost her appetite and had started to look thin and pale. Rita was worried so she sent word to the king and the next morning when Natalie entered the dining room her husband was waiting for her. The rat-king saw the change in his wife and realised that Rita had not been exaggerating. He thought about the girl she'd been when they had dined together. She'd been lively, eager to try dishes and foods she'd never even seen before. She'd listened attentively to everything he'd said about his country and his people. She'd been more than just polite, she'd been interested. That time too she had taken the place of the princess who had refused to see him again. No doubt she'd been forced by her mistress to take her place. The fault was not hers and she should not be punished.

"You don't look well, Natalie. You should go out more. Let's have a walk in the garden after breakfast."

"You don't have to trouble yourself with me, Your Majesty. I'll be…just…f…f…fi…" Natalie started to cry. The kindness of the king was too much for her heavy heart. The rat-king took her in his arms and tried to comfort her.

"I'm s…so sorry. I didn't mean … I didn't know …"

"I know you didn't mean to harm us, Natalie. I'm sorry too, sorry that I was in a sulk. I should not have left you on your own for so long. Let us make the best of an unfortunate situation. Let us be friends."

"Yes, Sire. I'd like that, Sire."

"Please, Natalie, don't say 'Your Majesty' and 'Sire' if we are to be friends. My name is Frederick, but if it makes you feel better you can call me Fred. We'll be Fred and Tilly."

Natalie looked at the king and saw amusement in his eyes. His snout twitched with suppressed laughter. Natalie suddenly felt as if she could breathe again, as if a crushing weight had been lifted from her body. Fred and Tilly, King Fred and Queen Tilly. For the first time since her wedding day Natalie smiled and a mischievous light started to glisten in her eyes as she said, "I think I'll call you Ricky."

"Ricky?!" the king cried in mock-horror.

"Mmm," said Natalie and then she and the king burst out in laughter.

"Shall we go for a walk then, Natalie? Or breakfast first?"

"Could we have some breakfast first, please, Frederick? I feel rather hungry."

.

After breakfast they went for a walk in the garden.

"I'm sorry that I left you alone for so long," Frederick said. "I had to come to terms with the altered situation. So far I've lived in hope of breaking this curse. Now I have to accept who I am, what I am."

Natalie wanted to apologise again but Frederick stopped her.

"No, let's not speak about it anymore. It is over and done with. Anyway, I'm sure it was Princess Clarissa's idea."

Natalie had a choice now. Blame Princess Clarissa who was gone anyway or take her share of the guilt. She decided that although her marriage had started with a lie it would not continue that way. She would be honest. It took all the courage she could muster but she said it anyway.

"Actually, it was my idea. I made the princess think it was hers."

Then Natalie told the king how she had gone about achieving this.

"You see, you shouldn't be angry with Princess Clarissa. It wasn't all her fault."

They walked on quietly, side by side. Natalie cast a furtive glace at Frederick. He seemed deep in thought. Eventually he came to a conclusion. Natalie had not married him out of malice. She had only wanted to help her colleagues and never intended to harm him or his people.

"Apparently I married the cleverest as well as the nicest of you two conspirators. Things could be worse."

Natalie was relieved their newfound friendship was not damaged. After a while she asked her most pressing question.

"Is there anything I can do or am allowed to do, other than sit in my room all day? I used to have to work all day long and quite frankly I'm getting bored doing nothing."

"You can go anywhere in the palace and the palace gardens, Natalie. If there is anything you need or want, just ask. You are the mistress here. If you like we can have our meals together as well."

"I would love that, Frederick."

ooOOoo

From that day onward Natalie and Frederick had all their meals together. Sometimes they had guests. Frederick introduced her to the people who worked in the palace, his counsellors and aides but also dignitaries like the mayors of the capital and the villages on the island. Each and every one of them was a rat. She never saw any of the humans who had stayed behind in Ilara.

When Frederick went to his office and state duties, Natalie roamed the palace, looking in every door she saw. The left wing of the palace was the original part, much older than the tower in the centre and the right wing. Natalie started with the newer part. She looked everywhere, from the ballroom to the dining room and parlours, from the library to the orangery, from the kitchen to the servants' rooms – the latter to see if they needed improving.

Eventually, after several days, she came to the older part of the palace. It was very quiet; nobody was about. She went up a big wooden staircase. It had wide shallow steps and a polished banister. At the top of the staircase was a big landing with some comfortable chairs and a few low tables. Opposite the staircase was a door. Natalie opened it and saw a schoolroom with one big desk and a couple of smaller desks. Against the wall were bookcases full of books, some neatly stacked and others just lying higgledy-piggledy on top of one another. Natalie opened one of the books. It was a history book. There were also a geography book, some language books and even one on etiquette. Natalie took the books and sat down at one of the desks. She started reading the etiquette book and was dismayed when she realised how little she knew about being a queen. She tried to remember all the rules and got so engrossed in her reading that she forgot time.

Lunchtime came and the king was waiting for her in the dining room but Natalie did not appear. In the end he went looking for her but nobody had seen his wife that morning until one of the guards remembered seeing Natalie go to the old part of the palace. When he got there the king noticed that the door to the old schoolroom was ajar. He went upstairs, entered the room and saw his wife sitting at a desk reading a book, just like a schoolgirl. The king went to Natalie who hadn't noticed him.

"What are you studying so intently? Can I see?"

Natalie started then shyly showed him the book.

"Etiquette? Why etiquette?"

"Because I don't want you to be ashamed of me. You see, I never learned anything like this and I don't know how a queen behaves. Also I want to learn about your country: history and geography and economics and everything a queen should know. I don't want you to have an ignorant fool for a wife."

"You can't be a fool if you want to improve yourself. I'll get you the teachers and the books you need if that is what you want."

"Oh, yes, I do, I really do."

.

Finally Natalie knew what to do all day long. She was a good and eager pupil; learning to her was a pleasure and she soaked in the knowledge like a sponge. She also had a teacher of etiquette who told her how to talk and how to behave, how to walk and stand, how to greet an equal and a servant. This Natalie found very difficult so she talked about it to the king who understood her problem as he never liked too much etiquette himself.

"Do what your teacher tells you to do and try to understand why you have to do things a certain way. Once you know and understand the rules you will learn when to forget about rules and etiquette, just like I do. I understand that you don't want to be a scullery-maid anymore but don't become an automaton or a doll either. I'm very happy that I married a real person and I like to keep it that way."

So Natalie the scullery-maid changed into an intelligent, elegant woman. She discussed what she had learned with her husband. Sometimes they talked deep into the night before they went to their respective bedrooms. They found they had a lot in common and slowly the friendship between King Frederick and his queen grew, but that was all. Not even a little friendly peck on the cheek had been exchanged between them.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**Thank you to Jimli, Silveredstar, Clara Spencer, SilverStarlightXD and guest reader Mimi for your reviews. Virtual Belgian chocolates to all of you. Hope you all continue to enjoy the story. Please let me know what you think.  
**


	9. Natalie's story

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 9 – Natalie's story**

After they had become friends Frederick wanted to know more about Natalie. He already knew she was intelligent, brave, interested in learning new things. He knew she'd been Princess Clarissa's scullery maid but wondered why such a bright girl had been doing such a mind-numbing job. That's why one day while walking in the garden Frederick decided to ask Natalie about her past. They had been talking about a book she'd been reading and this gave him a good starting point. Wasn't it normal that he would ask her how she knew something that scullery maids were generally not taught?

"Where did you actually learn to read so well?" he inquired. "Neither the hardest books nor the most difficult objects have ever daunted you. Now I've made sure that every one of my subjects can go to school and learn at least to count and read and write; skills that everybody should possess. But I know that is not the case everywhere and your knowledge goes far beyond the basics."

"My parents taught me," she answered.

"Would you mind telling me about them, about your youth? I'd like to know where you came from, what your life was before you came here. I'd like to know you better."

Natalie told him: "My father worked for the biggest wine merchant in Kusa, second city of Danali. He used to say they were probably the biggest in the whole of Danali. He was clerk to the merchant and my mother was a teacher when she met him. She didn't teach in a school as important as Miss Swann's school in Eskmouth, but it had a good reputation and taught the daughters of rich merchants and gentlemen farmers. Once they were married my mother had to give up her job of course; the school only allowed unmarried woman. Father earned enough though. We never had to worry about money. My parents believed that knowledge was important so my mother taught me how to read and write at an early age. Other subjects too. She became my teacher. Then the accident happened…"

Natalie stopped talking. All the feelings of that day came flooding back. She remembered the sun had been shining and birds had been singing and she hadn't understood that they continued. The world should have stopped spinning, the sun should have gone dark, and everyone and everything should have stopped breathing

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I'll be fine. I want to tell you."

"How did it happen? The accident I mean."

"Nobody knew exactly. Father had been checking an order of caskets of wine. They were tied down to the cart already, but one of the chains came loose or broke. … The caskets rolled of the cart and father couldn't get out of the way. … They didn't let me see him anymore. … I think my mother did. She changed after this, became silent, withdrawn. Of course she had to find a job. The merchant blamed my father for the accident. He said we should be happy he didn't charge us for the damage to his wine, never mind receiving a widow's pension. Mother tried the school where she used to teach but they didn't want her because she had me ... We had to leave the house, sell most of the furniture and the books. There had been so many books in the house and in the end I didn't have even one."

Frederick saw the tears in Natalie's eyes.

"Are you sure you want to continue?"

Natalie nodded.

"We had to move from our house with a garden to a small apartment above a shop. Eventually mother found a job as seamstress in a fashion house. She had to start early every day to light the fire, so the place was warm when the others came. And she left last when the fire had died down and the place was cleared up for the next day. Even then she brought work home to do in the evening, in the moonlight if there was any, otherwise in the light of a miserable little candle. … Mother tried to keep life as normal as possible for me. She continued teaching me whenever she could, which wasn't very often. It still meant I was in advance of other girls my age. The only thing I had to do was keep the house tidy and read to her while she was working in the evening, if the light allowed it. She always brought a warm meal home for me. She said she didn't want any because she had eaten with the girls in the shop. If I left a bit she would eat it and say it was a shame to waste good food. … I'm sure now that in reality those leftovers were the only food she had. She must have saved up as much as she could for me … and for the apartment … so we wouldn't have to move to a shabbier place. Then winter came and she got ill. She was too weak already and couldn't fight it."

She paused again.

"The little we had left was sold to pay for the funeral. I was ten years old and had no other relatives so I was sent to an orphanage. It had a school but it only taught the girls to do household chores, mend clothes, that sort of thing. According to Mrs Dunnmire, the woman who ran the orphanage, the only academic skill the girls needed was how to write their name. Of course there were no books. I volunteered for kitchen duty so I could read the newspaper the vegetables had been wrapped in, just to have something to read."

Natalie sighed.

"I hated the place. That's where I became Tilly. Mrs Dunmire changed my name. She said Natalie was no name for an ordinary girl. … When I was fourteen I had to go out to work; I was sent to work as scullery-maid with Lord and Lady Karr, one of the wealthiest households in Kusa. Lady Karr is actually a sister of Queen Clara of Danali. When Princess Clarissa had to go to Miss Swann's boarding school the queen wanted a scullery-maid for the princess. Lady Karr suggested me, mainly because I did not have any family that could miss me, and I became part of Princess Clarissa's entourage."

"That doesn't sound like a pleasant life."

"The orphanage was awful but working for Lady Karr wasn't that bad, just lonely. You see, I had spent my first wages on a book while my colleagues had all bought new bonnets. None of the other servants understood why I wanted to read and was not interested in pretty clothes and potential husbands. Lady Karr was actually quite good to her servants. We all had our own beds if not our own room and on cold nights we were allowed a fire in our room. I've heard of servants sleeping three to a bed and no heating whatsoever. The work was hard and Lady Karr was strict but I had a home there for four years. At least she treated her servants like people, not like objects. It was worse when I was with the princess but I don't want to talk about that if you don't mind."

"You don't have to say anything you don't want to," said King Frederick who knew already from Lady Selina and his friend Graham how dreadful Natalie's life had been during that time.

He now knew for certain that his wife could never break the curse. His last hope, that she was perhaps the daughter of an impoverished baron or so, and hence a noblewoman, was now dashed.

* * *

**Author's note: **

**Now you know everything about Natalie. Next chapter Natalie finally asks how Frederick and his people got cursed.**


	10. Frederick's curse

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 10 - Frederick's curse**

Tilly too had been wondering. Her husband had said Princess Clarissa would have been married to a man. She would have broken a curse. It puzzled her. Frederick was obviously a kind person. He could have reacted a lot more violently after the wedding. The rat-people didn't display signs of uncontrollable cruelty either. Why had they been cursed then? Who had turned them from people into rats? And why would Princess Clarissa have broken the curse while she apparently couldn't?

It was on another fine day, during a walk in the park that Natalie finally summoned up the courage to ask Frederick when and why he and his people had been cursed.

"It seems such a terrible curse and I can't believe you or your people did anything to deserve it," said Natalie.

"Thank you for your trust in me, Natalie," said Frederick. "My only fault was that I was not in love. But for you to understand I've got to go back further."

He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, then continued relating what had happened.

"When I was seven I met Melina, a girl about four years younger than I. She was running away from a dog and fell. I went to help her and took her home. She lived in the biggest house on the main square, the one that's all shuttered up now."

Natalie nodded. She remembered passing it a few times on her way to do the shopping.

"After that Melina kept following me and quite frankly I wasn't too keen on it at first. What could I do with a three year old girl in tow? I had to be careful all the time. My mother told me not to play too rough, not to go near water, not to climb on anything. Basically all the things a seven year old boy wants to do. But eventually I got used to Melina and as she grew up we became friends."

Natalie laughed. "I wish I could have seen you with this little girl following you. You had obviously become her hero after chasing the dog away."

Frederick laughed as well. "It was only a little dog, a pup really. Nothing heroic about that. Poor thing was more afraid than Melina."

"And the heroic boy played with the little girl."

"Yes, laugh about it. I got teased no end that I played with a little girl. I even hid at times when I didn't want to be with her. That was not easy. She would just suddenly appear behind me, and I would never hear her coming. As if she materialised out of thin air, which was more or less the case as I learned when I asked her one day how she did that. She told me she was a witch like her mother and of course suddenly she didn't seem so boring anymore. She didn't arrive silently anymore either. Fires she would walk out of, firework going off, flashes of lightning, plumes of smoke; it was never dull when Melina appeared. When I was fifteen I left the island to go to boarding school, like my father before me. Melina wrote to me about what happened on the island, and I would write her about the things that happened at my school. Later she would write about her own studies. To me they were always letters from a friend to a friend, nothing else. After boarding school I went to university and Melina and I kept the correspondence going. In all that time I came back to the island once when my father died rather suddenly. My mother said that one moment he was laughing, the next he was dead. She became regent and I went back to my studies, or more precisely to the student life I liked so much. I came back because my mother was ill; she died soon after my return. I was twenty-one then."

Frederick felt again the shock of his father's sudden death and the pain when his mother died as well, two years later.

He continued, "I took up my responsibility as king of the island and earned the trust and respect of my subjects. I was going to build a university on the island, invite scientist, promote culture and make my country a centre of excellence. I had so many plans … Then my young witch-friend came back to the island. Over the years Melina had developed a crush on me and she wanted to become my queen. That possibility had never even occurred to me. Of course I refused because I did not love her … I had never seen her so angry. I tried to soothe her and said she would surely meet a more suitable husband. That only made things worse. Just at that moment one of the maids came in to tell us the tea was ready. She smiled and Melina flipped. I never expected her to take revenge by changing me and my people into rats. Then she disappeared, leaving us no hope."

"But why? It seems so undeserved."

"Why?" Frederick shrugged his shoulders. "She was eighteen, had been bragging to her friends about the prince who would marry her. Then I refused her and when she saw the maid smiling, presumably she thought people here would mock her. She probably did it in a fit of anger, without thinking. As I said: she just lost it."

"I understand. Hell hath no greater fury …"

"Yes, something like that. She returned two years later with her husband and full of remorse. Unfortunately she could not undo the curse – apparently it's the first rule of curses: what is cursed stays cursed – but she could give us hope. I had to marry a noblewoman and our first kiss would break the curse. She also promised to bring a suitable wife to the island and that is why the storm brought your ship to our shore. Melina must have deposited it safely on the beach because that bay is the most remote and best protected part of Ilara. Princess Clarissa was clearly a noblewoman of suitable age so I tried to win her. When that didn't work I decided to force her into doing it for her people."

"And then I spoiled it by helping the princess to get away and marrying you in her place. I'm amazed you didn't chop my head off."

"You only wanted to help your colleagues to get back home and I now think the princess would never have married me. She didn't want me, just like I didn't want to marry Melina."

"Are you sure Melina has forgiven you completely? Princess Clarissa is not the kind of wife I would wish on my best friend."

"I thought of that too. When I heard Lady Selina wasn't married either, I wondered if she could be the one. She's a bit older than me but a lot nicer than the princess. Luckily I learned in time she and Graham had a thing going and I decided not to interfere in that. Basically Clarissa was the one. I think Melina had become desperate. It had been three years since she promised to help us. Perhaps she saw your princess as the only opportunity to keep her word."

"That must be the explanation."

"I know it is. Melina is not bad. She even went into a self-imposed banishment and she loves Ilara."

Natalie and Frederick walked on in silence for a while.

Obviously Melina has, or at least used to have, a bit of a short fuse, Natalie thought. And was it desperation or malice that had made her choose Princess Clarissa as a bride for Frederick? Natalie didn't know what to think of Melina.

Then she asked, "But why didn't you kill me when you found out you married the wrong girl? You could have called it 'high treason' and Melina could have tried to find you someone else."

"That never occurred to me at the time. I'm not so into killing and chopping heads off. And afterwards we'd become friends. I could never kill a friend, for whatever reason."

"And your people? Aren't they enough reason?"

"I'm sure there are other solutions that don't involve bloodshed. Anyway, we can always sort things out if another noblewoman gets washed up on our shore."

If Frederick was determined not to kill Natalie, she was just as determined to do what must be done for him and his people should the need arise.


	11. The Man in the Painting

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 11 – The man in the painting**

Shortly after she heard from Frederick how and why he had been cursed, Natalie was again exploring the old part of the palace. She had an afternoon free of her studies and hoped to finally find the key to a locked door there. She had quite a few old keys that she had collected over some weeks and she wanted to try them on the mysterious door.

Several of the keys had been used without success until finally one of them turned. It had been rusty and dirty when Natalie had found it, quite by accident, while walking in the garden with her teacher during a botany lesson. Natalie had cleaned it and oiled it and now she could clearly hear the click as it opened the heavy door. She didn't know what to expect on the other side. Well, she didn't expect to see the corpses of previous brides like in Bluebeard's castle. But what could it be that needed to be locked away? What could be there that it made somebody, Frederick perhaps, throw away the key? Natalie was nervous even though she didn't do something forbidden. After all, Frederick had given her the freedom to explore the castle, without restriction. She entered the dark room. When her eyes had gotten used to the gloom she saw that she was in a long room, more a wide corridor. On one side there were heavily curtained windows. Natalie opened all the curtains one by one until she reached the end of what turned out to be the picture gallery. Judging by the amount of dust nobody had been there for a very long time. The few pieces of furniture and the pictures were covered with dustsheets.

Natalie carefully removed the sheet from the first picture. A man in a regal attitude looked down at her. The little plaque had a name and date on it. This was obviously the official portrait of one of Frederick's predecessors. Natalie covered the picture again before moving to the next one. She looked at the pictures one by one; pictures of kings, queens, princes and princesses and families. The final painting showed a man, a woman and a teenage boy. It was the final picture of Frederick and his family, probably done before he went away to school. Natalie uncovered a seat and sat down to study the picture. The father looked proud, standing behind his son. The mother, her hand on her son's shoulder, had a lovely, friendly face. The boy stood as proud as his father but the painter had captured something mischievous and happy in his eyes, something Natalie had occasionally seen in her husband's eyes though mostly he looked serious … or sad when he thought she wasn't looking.

There was one more picture, not hanging up but leaning against the wall. When Natalie removed the dustsheet she gasped. It was the unfinished official picture of Frederick, started when he'd become king but never finished and now hidden and locked away. Natalie had to swallow hard to keep the tears down. Even though unfinished the painting showed enough already for Natalie to realise what her husband would have been if she hadn't interfered with his plans. Not a pretty boy but a handsome man, to her at least. And now he could never be that man again. The painting would never be finished, locked away in this room that hadn't been opened in ages. Probably not since the day Melina had cursed the island.

From the moment she found the picture of her husband Natalie could not take her eyes of it. She was so taken up by her thoughts that the gong announcing dinner took her completely by surprise. Hurriedly Natalie covered the unfinished painting again, went out and carefully locked the door. She quickly washed and got dressed for dinner and hurried down. Luckily they didn't have guests that day so only Frederick had been kept waiting.

"You're rather late. Did you get engrossed in your study?" Frederick laughed.

"Yes," Natalie mumbled, hoping he wouldn't ask any further. If he did she would tell him the truth. After the disastrous outcome of her wedding day she had vowed to herself that she would never keep anything from him anymore.

Of course he did ask.

"What were you studying that you forgot the time?"

"You."

"Me?"

He laughed, and incredulous laugh.

"I opened the door to the picture gallery and was looking at your picture when the gong sounded."

She'd said it fast, to get it over with as soon as possible. He stopped laughing.

"You can't have. I threw the key away."

"I know. I found it."

She told him where and how she'd found the key and then added, "You never told me it was a forbidden room."

"Perhaps I should have. I never thought you would find the key."

"I'm sorry. Do you want the key back? I locked the room before I came here."

He sighed.

"It doesn't matter really. If you want to look at those paintings go ahead. They are just relics of dead people now."

"But … but you aren't … dead, I mean."

"The man in the painting is."

Natalie saw the pain in her husband's eyes. Perhaps she should have lied after all.

"I'm sorry," she said. "The only thing I seem good at is upsetting you. If I had known I would never have opened that door."

He shrugged, "I know you didn't mean to hurt me. I should have told you."

They had their dinner in silence. Natalie had lost her appetite and Frederick didn't eat much either. They both declined dessert. Frederick claimed he still had some business to attend to. He quickly left the dining room. To Natalie it felt as if he was fleeing her company. Like so many times before she sat up all night thinking about her marriage to the rat-king. Had she done the right thing? Would Princess Clarissa have married him eventually? Did saving her colleagues and the crew of the Falcon weigh up to the continued sorrow of the rat-people? Of all the questions spooking around in her head only one could be answered with certainty. No way would Princess Clarissa have married the rat-king.

Next morning, very pale after a sleepless night, Natalie sat at the breakfast table. This time it was Frederick who was late. Eventually he did arrive. One look at his wife convinced him that her night had been as bad as his.

"I'm sorry, Natalie. I behaved like a real rat yesterday. All night I've been thinking about you and the picture gallery and this morning I've come to a conclusion. The picture gallery is yours; just keep the door locked at all times."

"Oh no, you don't have to apologise. I should have realised that door was locked for a reason."

"Friends again?"

She nodded, "Always friends."

"Good. Just don't go falling in love with a man in a painting." He said it light-heartedly, as if it was meant as a joke but Natalie only had a wan smile for it. She knew she had fallen for someone else already; an unusual man, whose eyes were the same as those of the man in the painting.


	12. A true Queen

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 12 – A true Queen**

The moment King Frederick and Natalie had become friends, he had lifted all restrictions that kept her confined to the palace. When her studies didn't take up all her time anymore, he decided they could go beyond the palace garden. They went on long rambles together and Natalie learned to climb the cliffs and enjoyed the thrill. On those occasions Frederick looked at his wife with her bright eyes and red cheeks and doubted he would have had as much fun with Princess Clarissa. And as on official duties Natalie looked as much a queen as Clarissa could ever have done, Frederick concluded he preferred being a rat married to Natalie to being a man married to Clarissa.

In the evening at a formal banquet Frederick and Natalie would be the picture of form and etiquette; next morning people saw them running along the beach, barefoot and in plain clothes.

After she'd been in the picture gallery, Natalie's aim was to make him happy, the see the roguish smile in his eyes. She would tease him and he would follow her as she ran away, both of them laughing. Eventually he would catch her and hold her. Natalie's heart was beating as much in anticipation as from the running. For a moment it looked as if he would kiss her. But always at the point where their frolicking would become intimacy he stopped.

"You're a tease," he would say and she'd see a flash of sadness in his eyes. Then they would walk back arm in arm, sedately like an old couple whose roaring passion had become a steady warmth.

ooOOoo

For centuries it had been custom in Ilara for the king and queen to make a yearly tour around the island. Frederic and Natalie would visit every village before returning to the capital where a festival would be held that the King and Queen would attend. At first Natalie was afraid that the rat-people might hate her for ruining their rescue but she quickly realised that this was not the case. The people cheered her as much as their king, as if it was planned all along that she would be their queen. The apparent happiness of King Frederick certainly played a part in this. Nobody had seen him smile since they were cursed but now he was even laughing. He seemed much more relaxed and at peace with his fate. Then there were the stories about Princess Clarissa's foul character that had spread across the island. When the rat-people had heard what kind of queen they had escaped, they were very much relieved. They preferred being rats to being slaves to a queen's whims.

Natalie also met the people who had stayed on the island. First she met the two crewmembers, Jacob and Benjamin, who showed her their farm and the cattle they were breeding. They lived in a small farming village where they had bought a sizeable amount of land with the money they had been saving while serving on the Falcon.

"We come from a family of farmers," said Jacob, the older of the two. "Unfortunately father's farm was too small for all of us. We are the youngest of six, so we decided to become sailors."

"When we saw the rich meadows here, our fingers started to itch and now we have the dairy farm we always dreamed of," added Benjamin as they entered the sparklingly clean dairy room.

"Yes, and even the milkmaids are nice, aren't they, little brother."

This made the younger man blush. And so did a young dairymaid with black ears. Her blush could be seen shining through her creamy pale fur.

Frederick and Natalie visited other farms and businesses in the village and joined the villagers in their party that evening. There was a dance afterwards and Natalie danced with the mayor, the two brothers and other men in the village. She also talked to the village women and took a tired little rat-boy on her lap while his mother was dealing with his twin siblings who were rather a handful.

Frederick was proud of his wife. She treated his people like humans, unlike Princess Clarissa who had wiped her hands after touching them. She'd never even tried to hide her disgust. It had made their engagement party the worst night of his life. Now he was married to a girl who couldn't break the spell, but she was a real queen who easily stole the hearts of the villagers.

Next day the whole population of the village was lining the streets to wave goodbye as the coach with their king and queen left.

.

Similar scenes happened in other villages. Even where some of the rat-people felt resentful towards Natalie, her friendly behaviour soon changed that.

The last part of their tour brought King Frederick and Queen Natalie back to the capital where they visited Sonja, the housemaid, and June, the kitchen maid. They were maids no longer but were in charge of an inn and had staff of their own now. As it was lunchtime Natalie suggested, "Let's eat here. Miss June is an excellent chef. She always outshone Princess Clarissa's own cook."

Frederick agreed. While they were waiting for their food, Graham came in with Lady Selina. The king saw them and called his friend, "Graham, why don't you and Lady Selina join us?"

They accepted. It was the first time the women met since the wedding. Natalie felt an initial moment of discomfort. How would Selina, who'd know her as a scullery maid act? But Selina's experience told. Without batting an eyelid she accepted Natalie as queen and addressed her accordingly.

"Your Majesty remembers Miss June's cooking as well?" she said. "We come here regularly, Graham and I."

Although Graham still called Selina a friend it was obvious there was more between them. Frederick had often asked Graham when he would set a date for his marriage to Lady Selina. When he inquired again it was Selina who answered.

"We haven't set a date yet, Your Majesty. Graham wants me to be absolutely sure. 'For obvious reasons,' he says. And even if I tell him I am sure, he still says it's better to wait a bit longer."

"Do you still live in the guest's palace then, Lady Selina?" asked Frederick.

"Yes, I do, Your Majesty," she answered. "It can be a bit lonely now."

"You could become my wife's lady-in-waiting and live in the palace. You would see Graham more often as well."

"I would love to, Sire, if Her Majesty agrees."

"I certainly agree, Lady Selina, but only if we can drop this formality. My name is Natalie."

As Frederick and Graham were on first name terms already the meal became rather informal to everyone's delight. Later that day Selina had her effects moved to a room near Natalie's and officially became her lady-in-waiting. She too thought Natalie had become a real queen, one she was happy to serve.

ooOOoo

The first wedding anniversary of Frederick and Natalie coincided with the festival at the end of the tour around the island. The rat-people celebrated. There were street parties everywhere. Flags lined the streets, squares and marketplaces were crisscrossed with streamers and had bands playing in them, turning them into open-air dancehalls. Fireworks went off all over the island at midnight and people continued partying until the following morning as if they had to make up for the lack of festivities at the actual wedding.

Natalie thought life would be perfect if she only could tell her husband that his looks didn't matter to her and that she loved him but although they did walk arm in arm, he avoided anything more intimate. She could only assume he didn't love her or desire her. The best she could hope for was his friendship.

Frederick did love her though. He wished he were a man and not a rat so he could ask Natalie to really be his wife and not just a friend. His problem was that he was afraid to show her. He reasoned that picking up a rat-child or caressing a rat-baby was not the same as feeling the amorous touches of a rat-man. He feared a simple caress would create a distance between them and that terrified him. Frederick cherished his friendship with Natalie too much to take the risk.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**The story of Natalie and Frederick is reaching its end. Two more chapters to go. W****ill there be a happy ending? For Natalie? For Frederick? Will the curse be broken? I'm not telling.**

**I hope you'll keep reading and enjoying my tales.**

**PS: A review would be very much appreciated.  
**


	13. The War

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 13 – The war**

Not long after the celebrations, a couple of months at the most, a fleet of ships was seen approaching the island. At first nobody was worried because the cliffs protected the island and nobody could get close without a pilot to show them the way. But the ships passed the first line of cliffs and then they saw the flags of Princess Clarissa's father. A canon was fired from the leading ship but the shot plunged into the water. The second shot was closer but didn't hit anything either. After that the canons were silent but the ships kept coming closer and closer, passing row upon row of the protective cliffs.

As soon as the first shot rang across the water, the rat-people were on the move. The men ran to the palace where they found weapons and armour; the women, the children and the old people grouped together to go toward the centre of the island, where the cliffs started and where they could find shelter in the caves.

"Go and lead them to safety, Natalie," Frederick said. "They'll look towards you for guidance. You are their queen. My duty is to defend the island."

He was holding her by the hands while he spoke, looking into her eyes. For a moment Natalie thought he would embrace her. But as she brought her face closer to his, he let go of her hands, turned away and went. She saw that Graham gave Selina a kiss goodbye and wished her husband had done the same.

Once installed in the caves, the fugitives could hear the noise of the battle in the distance and worried. There hadn't been any fighting on the island in living memory. The canons on the quayside were only there for decoration; birds nested in their mouths. The cliffs, made even more formidable by Melina, had been all the protection they had needed. The drills to get the island battle ready had always been a time of fun, an outing for the whole island. This time it had been deadly serious.

Natalie too worried. The Ilaran army had few experienced soldiers and that experience was limited to daily practice. The rest were just ordinary people, ready to fight for their homes and families. They had to take on a practised army, feared in every country that bordered Danali, and beyond. King Derek had brought a large contingent of his army as well judging by the size of the fleet that she had seen approaching the island.

The fight went on nearly non-stop for three days and three nights. By mid-morning on the fourth day the noise stopped. Natalie went out and saw somebody riding towards the caves. It was one of the rat-soldiers. He jumped off his horse and fell down at Natalie's feet, panting.

"It has all gone wrong," he cried. "They've captured the king."

Natalie didn't wait for more information. She grabbed the man's horse and rode into the capital as fast as the animal could go. When she arrived at the main square, she saw that the rat-people had been captured and put in big cages. In front of a cage at the farthest corner of the square stood Princess Clarissa and her father. The princess was jumping up and down and clapping her hands in glee. Natalie left the horse near the fountain and walked towards the princess and King Derek. She passed the cages. Each of them was packed with rat-people – her people – some had injuries, but not one was taken care of. She passed the captain of the ship who had Jacob and Benjamin, his former crewmembers in chains. They had been fighting alongside King Frederick and his army. She noticed that the captain didn't look happy. He had probably been forced to bring Princess Clarissa and her army to the island. Natalie wondered whether the shots that had warned them had been deliberate misses, perhaps even non-authorised.

As she walked across the square Natalie thought how strangely quiet everybody was. Sometimes she heard the moaning of an injured person, but there was no other sound from the captured rat-people. The victorious soldiers didn't cheer or run around breaking in and plundering the houses; they just stood near the cages. The only noise was the laughter and clapping of the princess.

"We'll destroy all the vermin on this island, won't we papa. We can't have big rats running around. Just think of the disease they'll spread."

She laughed as if this was a good joke.

As she got nearer to the last cage, Natalie saw that her husband as well as Graham and the officers of the rat-people's army were locked in it.

"How will we destroy them, papa? Will we drown them or poison them? Of course they might not eat the poison, but it would be amusing though to lower the cages in the water and see the rats pushing and shoving to get to the top of the cage? It will be so much fun."

Natalie heard this and she needed all her strength to stop herself from slapping Princess Clarissa. But she didn't want to spend time on useless gestures that could badly backfire. Instead she turned towards King Derek and said, "Your Majesty, could I have a word with you, please?"

"And who might you be?"

"Oh, papa, this is the scullery maid who married the rat in my place. But of course you wouldn't remember her."

"Ah, yes! You were very brave, my dear, and you don't have to worry anymore. We'll find the rest of the rats and we'll destroy them all. Then you can come back with us."

"Excuse me, Sire, but that is not the reason I want to talk to you. I came to ask you to release these people. They never did any harm to anybody; they helped us when the ship was grounded on the island and treated your daughter with the respect that is her due. Please, Sire, let them go. Isn't it punishment enough that they will always be rats? They can never leave this island for if they do, they will be locked up and treated as freaks. Please, Sire, let them live in peace."

"I'm sorry but I promised my daughter that I would destroy the vermin. No other woman should have to go through the horrors that she suffered."

"What horrors?" Natalie looked at Clarissa with contempt. "The horror of living in a palace surrounded by servants? The horror of being treated with respect? There were no horrors. We were always treated with kindness and courtesy. There are no vermin on this island, only people – even if they look different – and one of them is my husband."

"Don't worry, my dear. When we're home we'll find a decent chap to marry you and then you'll soon have forgotten the horror of this unholy marriage."

Natalie lost her patience with King Derek who apparently only heard what he wanted to hear.

"I don't want another husband. I'm happy with the one I have got."

Princess Clarissa shrieked with laughter, "Oh, my God! Oh, papa, that is hilarious! The scullery maid and the rat, a love story."

"Yes, I love him. You didn't give him a chance but he is a fantastic man. And I mean 'man'; despite what he looks like he is not vermin." Natalie then begged King Derek again, "Please, Sire, let my husband go. Let his people – let our people go."

"Hah, your people? Papa, the scullery maid thinks she's a queen? Her Majesty, Queen Rat!"

"Yes, I am the queen. Isn't that what happens when a girl marries a king? I am proud of my husband, my king. And I am proud of my people. Why didn't you stay away? Why did you come back? For petty vengeance, because he dared to ask you to be his wife. Didn't my husband have more cause for vengeance when he found his betrothed had fled and left him married to a scullery maid? We tricked him, princess, you and I, and he never took his revenge on me. He has always been kind to me. If that doesn't make him a person, what will?"

King Derek looked at Natalie with respect. Finally he understood the sacrifice this girl had been willing to make for his daughter. He was also impressed with her attitude. She was a queen now, whatever she might have been in the past. He bowed to her and said, "I'm truly very, very sorry, Your Majesty, but I promised my daughter on my honour that I would not rest until all rats had disappeared. I cannot go back on my word, even though her story wasn't completely truthful."

He cast an angry look at his daughter.

"I will not allow Clarissa to torture them. It will be done humanely, that I can promise you but I can't go back on my word. I'm very sorry."

Natalie looked at King Derek, saw the pity in his eyes and realised that she was defeated by a promise given under false pretences. She could do no more. No begging, no bartering, nothing would change his mind. To anybody else such a promise would be considered null and void, but unfortunately not to King Derek. Mustering all her strength she asked the king, "Can I … will you allow me to speak to my husband, Sire, say goodbye to him?"

"Of course you can, Ma'am."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Yes, Princess Clarissa is back. Will she succeed in her plans to destroy King Frederick and his people? Who knows?  
**

**Well, I do of course but you'll have to wait until ...  
**


	14. The end of

**Author's Note: so here it is. The last chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Ratking**

**CHAPTER 14 – The end of …**

King Frederick had followed the argument between his wife and the Danali royals. For just a moment his heart soared when he heard Natalie acknowledging her love for him. But he had heard King Derek's last words too and knew neither he nor his people would be allowed to live out their lives as rats.

Natalie went to the cage where Frederick was locked up and told him what he already knew.

"King Derek won't change his mind. He says he promised his daughter."

Natalie started to cry. Tears streaked her face and her body was shaking with the sobbing.

"All this is my fault. I should never have helped the princess. I should never have hinted that she might send you a double to marry. I have destroyed you … I have destroyed you all."

Natalie couldn't speak anymore. She didn't know how she would be able to live without Frederick. All she could see in her future was the gaping maw of loneliness. For the first time since their marriage King Frederick stroked her face. He said, "Don't feel guilty. We had a great time together. I found happiness when I thought I could never again be happy. And you didn't destroy us. You didn't bring the soldiers to our island. The princess did."

Natalie held his paw on her face.

"You don't hate me?"

"Never, my wife, I love you and I wish I had the time left to prove it to you."

Then King Frederick pulled Natalie closer to the cage and kissed her; and Natalie kissed the rat-king. Her lips touched his furry snout and then … she felt lips, warm human lips. Natalie opened her eyes and there was her husband; his eyes were looking back at her but no longer from a ratty face. He was a man … the man from the painting in the picture gallery.

Before either Natalie or Frederick could speak they heard the loudest thunderclap as lightning struck the ground and out of a ball of fire stepped the most amazingly beautiful woman. Her hair was long and golden – really golden, not golden-brown or very blond; silver streaks ran through it and it glistened with the reflection of the sunlight. Her eyes were strange, slightly slanting and violet, light and friendly when she looked at Frederick and Natalie, dark and threatening when she looked at Clarissa, but definitely violet. Her dress was like a piece of ocean wrapped around her body. Impossible to tell whether it was green or blue but it shimmered and moved like the currents of the sea.

"Good morning, Melina, making a quiet entrance as usual?"

"I've had enough practice, Frederick dear. Why in heaven's name did it take you so long to kiss the girl I sent to you?"

'What do you mean? My wife was not a noblewoman when I married her."

"Noblewoman? I never said noblewoman. Weren't you listening? I said noble … woman, the two don't always coincide," she said with a quick glance at Clarissa; "I first saw this girl in Eskmouth when she worked for the princess and I was rather pleased when she boarded the ship and I could get her to you so easily. Then you nearly spoiled things when you wanted to marry the wrong girl and I was not allowed to put you right – rules of curses, you see, no meddling allowed - well - not much. How could you ever think I wanted you to marry somebody as unpleasant as that Princess Clarissa? You would have been more miserable as her husband than you had ever been as rat."

The princess audibly gasped when she heard this.

.

Natalie turned to King Derek and said, "Sire, I think you have kept your word. All rats have disappeared. Can the cages be opened, please?"

With a big smile King Derek looked around at all the rat-people who had become human again.

"You are right, Ma'am, the rats have all gone. Guards! Open those cages! Immediately!"

"Papa, you can't mean that. You cannot let them go after all they did to me, the horror I had to go through and the bad treatment. I told you what that beast wanted to do to me. You can't let him get away with it."

"Shut up, daughter. I don't want to hear your lies any longer. This war is over, we are going home."

Princess Clarissa stamped her foot, moaned and cried bucket-loads of crocodile tears. When that didn't produce a reaction from her father, she rolled on the ground like a tantrum throwing toddler, for the first time in her life not worrying about getting dirty. King Derek yanked his daughter to her feet.

"Stop behaving like a child or I'll give you the spanking I should have given you years ago. Why can't you behave like your former maid? SHE is a queen; you're just an annoying brat devoid of honour. Lying to get us involved in this war as well. The cost for this will come out of your allowance and not out of taxes. You can count on that."

Melina made King Derek an offer, "I could put a curse on your daughter, Your Majesty, one that will disappear as soon as she learns to be more pleasant."

"Madam, I am tempted but I fear she would stay cursed for ever. This is my fault, I spoilt her too much. I could never refuse her anything. Mind you, her mother is not an easy person either. No, I have to find the solution to my problems myself. But thank you for the offer anyway."

.

And that was the end of the war, the only war the island ever knew. The islanders were set free. The captain himself removed the chains from Jacob and Benjamin and apologised to everyone over and over again for having brought the ships to the island. And everyone accepted his apologies over and over again because they knew the princess would have made some serious threats to get him to cooperate. Then the fugitives who had come down from the caves arrived and it was great to see how families found each other again, even though they had all changed. Even Selina was soon embracing her Graham, who still had great whiskers.

As soon as King Derek and Princess Clarissa were gone the celebrations started and people toasted, "To the end of the war!", "To the breaking of the curse."

"To the fact that nobody died or got seriously injured in the war," said King Frederick while he looked at Melina.

She answered that she had nothing to do with that; it was not allowed; rules of the curses and so. But Frederick knew the truth. Melina had been living with her guilt for a long time and a voluntary banishment from the island had not been enough to ease it.

Frederick took every opportunity to kiss Natalie. "I have a lot of catching up to do," he said. Then he added, "If I had kissed you at the end of the wedding ceremony, as I should have done, the curse would have been broken over a year ago. And Clarissa would have looked and even bigger fool. All her talk about terrible rats and there wouldn't have been a rat on the island. I should have realised all along Melina could never have sent a woman like Clarissa to be my bride."

Natalie laughed, "I even thought Melina was some evil witch to have sent you Clarissa. Sorry, Melina."

"Quite all right. I don't do curses anymore, though I would gladly have made an exception for that Clarissa."

"When I realised what sort of person she was I felt caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," said Frederick. "And if I'd been the only one cursed, I would have opted for the sea and sent the devil back to her father. But then I would never have married my wife and that would have been a real shame." Then he kissed Natalie again until everybody started whistling and clapping.

.

Of course Graham asked Selina to be his wife to which she answered, "Finally! I thought you'd never ask. Of course I will." They were married within a fortnight. The little milkmaid, who did have a cream-coloured skin and a mop of black curls instead of black ears, said "Yes" too when Benjamin asked her.

Melina, feeling she had no right to remain, had left Ilara again to continue her banishment. Frederick and Natalie kept asking her to come back and finally she succumbed to their requests. Melina and her husband returned to the island and opened up the house on the market square thus removing the last reminder of the curse.

A year later the Falcon brought her former captain and his family to Ilara. He was welcomed with open arms by all who knew him, especially when he told them how Princess Clarissa had made sure of his services. She had imprisoned his wife and young children in a filthy, dark dungeon. When he found out, King Derek became furious with his daughter and even her mother had been angry. She declared that a princess didn't do such things to innocent children. For once Clarissa's parents agreed she needed punishment. Together they devised the worst possible punishment for her. No parties for a whole year.

With the curse broken Frederick and Natalie started on a long overdue round of state visits to neighbouring countries. More than one prince envied Frederick. Of course the new queen of Ilara was talked about at every party. Eventually, once her punishment over, Clarissa too heard all this praise. She couldn't help herself and had to end the admiration for Natalie.

"Some queen. She used to be my scullery maid," she said to a crown-prince she rather fancied because of his wealth.

He looked at Clarissa with more than a little disgust and then said to his brother, loud enough for everyone to hear, "This is a strange country where scullery maids have more nobility in their little finger than the royal princess in her entire body."

Then they left Clarissa standing, more embarrassed than she'd ever thought possible.

.

And that is the story of the rat-king and his wife. Frederick and Natalie lived long and happily in their island kingdom – the best little country in the whole world. That at least is what people say who have been there.

And Princess Clarissa? Did her father, King Derek, ever succeed in making her a kinder person? Well …

... that is another story.

THE END

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**Thank you for reading my story to the end. I hope you enjoyed it.  
**

**Before you ask: No, I don't intend to write a sequel to this story. Feel free to imagine any kind of punishment you like for Clarissa. Feel free to imagine she finally redeems herself, or not. **


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